It’s so important to stretch the hip flexors because of the critical role they play in sport, functional training, and life in general. We love to use the lunge, not only as a mode of exercise, but also as a primary way to loosen the hips.
Be sure to keep the front knee behind the toes (knee angle at about 90 degrees), the trailing knee off the ground, and torso upright (like Kat and Elena back there).
Here we have our dynamic duo Kristin and Sam of 0600 making exercise look so easy.
Our trainers often times do the same during the demo phase of class. Has anyone seen Jessica’s “plyo push-up scoop up the medicine ball and jump into a squat position” move? That’s a skilled signature move that she makes seem like a walk in the park. Inevitably we’ll have one or two people come back the next day feeling sucker punched by an exercise that initially seemed so simple. Do you recall being hit by a 1,2 combo?
“Hey, my feet are growing! Thank you Cindy for the cool outfit. Today, I’m El Conejo Verde, but you can call me Mateo for short.”
Check out Nick and Patty H. working the dip/weighted squat combo. We love fast intense supersets like these because they keep us focused and quickly tax our muscles before we have time to think or worse, whine.
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Which supersets leave you whining?
Dr. Kim Casey and Sunny McKay have been training regularly at the IC for the past 8-12 months. They both believe in the benefits of weightlifting and maintaining full ROM on all functional movements. The result: increases in lean body mass (a.k.a. “toned”) while maintaining svelte, slender, and feminine physiques (a.k.a. no muscle bulk). We’ll boast about their athletic feats another day. For now, let’s talk shop about another popular topic.
If you think lifting heavy weights overhead and squatting deep will make your arms and legs bulk up like this, you’re not alone. Many people, especially women, believe this fitness myth. Unless you’re in that 1% of the population genetically predisposed to extreme hypertrophy, this should NOT even be a concern. But hey, you don’t have to take it from us…
Excerpt taken from:
Strength Training for Women: Debunking Myths That Block Opportunity
William P. Ebben, MS, MSSW, CSCS; Randall L. Jensen, PhD
THE PHYSICIAN AND SPORTSMEDICINE – VOL 26 – NO. 5 – MAY 98
“Recent studies counter several widely held beliefs that may limit the physiologic and psychological benefits of weight training for women.
Myth 1: Strength training causes women to become larger and heavier. The truth is, strength training helps reduce body fat and increase lean weight (1). These changes may result in a slight increase in overall weight, since lean body mass weighs more than fat. However, strength training results in significant increases in strength, no change or a decrease in lower-body girths, and a very small increase in upper-extremity girth. Only women with a genetic predisposition for hypertrophy who participate in high-volume, high-intensity training will see substantial increases in limb circumference.
Myth 2: Women should avoid high-intensity or high-load training. Women are typically encouraged to use limited resistance, such as light dumbbells, in their strength exercises. Often such light training loads are substantially below those necessary for physiologic adaptations and certainly less than those commonly used by men.
Most women are able to train at higher volumes and intensities than previously believed. In fact, women need to train at intensities high enough to cause adaptation in bone, muscle, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. When exercise intensity provides insufficient stimulus, physiologic benefits may be minimal (3). To gain maximum benefit from strength training, women should occasionally perform their exercises at or near the repetition maximum for each exercise.”
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Well then, what causes women to bulk up? Eating 2000 calories six times daily, lifting 500 pounds everyday (the 15-20lb. dumbbells most ladies lift at the IC doesn’t even come close to qualifying as “heavy”), and taking steroids.
We talked before about the ways you can be a good partner during the exercises. Now let’s cover a few things to avoid.
When partnering, DON’T:
Say, “Is that all you got? Really? I thought this month marked your two-year anniversary at the IC.”
Ask, “Mind if I get something to drink? I have a feeling you’re gonna take a while.”
Comment, “I actually wanted to partner with someone who smells better, but I guess this will be okay since it’s windy outside.”
Plead, “Hey, do you think I’m good at counting? I mean, I’m a good partner, right? High five! …wait, could you just hold my hand for a second?”
Remark, “What happened? You looked so skinny last week.”
Which other DON’Ts should we avoid? (Not everyone has common sense.)
There are numerous methods of cooking chicken that allow it to retain its moisture. Chicken skin is a natural sealant so you can cook chicken with the skin on and then remove the skin before eating to reduce the level of fat in the dish. Another is to cook chicken with its bones still intact. For skinless, bonessless chicken an effective method is cooking chicken in its own juices in parchment paper. Like a pressure cooking, the chicken is essentially steam-baked at high temperature, sealing in the juices and adding flavor to the chicken itself. Note that in this recipe, only small amounts of seasoning are needed to impart flavor. Note, too, that the salt is added after the dish has been cooked, this is because salt sprinkled on chicken draws out the moisture as it cooks.
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 tbl apple juice or apple cider
3 tbl balsamic vinegar
1 tbl mustard
1 tbl honey
(sea salt after cooking)
parchment paper (do not use wax paper).
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425.
Combine all ingredients, except the chicken in a bowl and whisk until blended. Set aside.
Remove chicken breast from package and rinse in cold water. Pat dry. Inspect the chicken for excess fat deposits and remove with a knife. Place chicken on hard surface and, using a mallet or your fist, pound each breast until it has a thickness even with the thinner part of the breast. Do not hit the meat so hard that you tear the flesh. Divide chicken into 2 (or 4) individual serving sections.
Tear off as many 18 inch pieces of parchment as you have servings of chicken and place the chicken on the parchment paper, dividing the spice mixture evenly between the servings. Wrap the parchment by folding down the excess paper (as with a bag of coffee), and tucking the ends into itself. If you have trouble, use a little tape.
Place each package in a baking pan and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and open using a scissors or your hands. Be careful as steam will escape. Serve in its pouch or remove chicken and slice. For added flavor, pour jus from parchment over chicken.
Prior to becoming a legal goddess, Tsan worked in the food industry, both as chef (in Cambridge and New Hampshire) and as an event planner (in Vail). She also ran the Culinary, Hospitality and Restaurant Management Certificate Program at UCLA Extension.
Hand rails, agility ladders, giant rubber bands and bars make up the obstacle course for Team 0930.
Nette and Kristin L. do the fancy footwork. Jennifer B., Peter, Kerri, and Kate do the fancy hand walk. Leslie, Lan-Ling, Elsa, David, and Shari do the fancy pull-up.
This recipe is dear to me because it is born of my love for garlic-truffle mashed potatoes, and my attempts to find a low-carbohydrate substitute for them. Although the picture shows them with a small portion of potatoes, I find that this dish is so flavorful, I never eat them. The sauce is to die for.
I love the pre-determined portions of this recipe. For some, portion control can be the cornerstone of a weight loss plan, but the psychological impact of cutting something in half often has the consequence of making us feel deprived. Bring out the cupcake pan! A standard cupcake tin holds about 1/4 pound of meat, making it possible to eat a reasonable amount without feeling like you didn’t get a whole piece.
This is not your ordinary meatloaf. The recipe is made with ground chicken breast instead of beef or pork, which explains its pale color and contributes to a very low fat content. Too add a little “sausage” flavor, I use coriandre. The bread crumbs and egg have been removed from the recipe to make it less fattening and less carbohydrate-rich. Since these fillers benefit the dish by adding air and lightness to it, the following croquette is extremely dense. If you choose, you can add back the fillers (3/4 cup panko bread crumbs & 1 whole egg).
Note that the recipe calls for white truffle oil, which is a rather expensive condiment, but well worth the price (a bottle will last two years). Notwithstanding the hoity-toity factor, this dish is adored by my 43 year old and my 3 year old alike. I eat it without the mashed potato topping, and it’s just as good.
A note about meat: Grocery stores are convenient, but should be reserved for bulk food items and canned goods. Get to know your local butcher, and over time, the relationship will pay off. A loyal customer gets the best cuts, advance notice of specialty items, and perfect service even during holiday times.
INGREDIENTS
For the croquette:
2 lbs ground chicken breast (available at your local butcher)
1 tsp ground coriander
1/3 cup minced green onion
2 tbl worchestershire sauce
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
(optional: 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs and 1 egg)
Optional garnish: mashed potatoes
For the white truffle glaze:
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
scant 1/2 cup white truffle oil
1 cup water
Combine all ingredients for the croquette in a single bowl and mix with your hands or a spatula until everything is incorporated. Press mixture into muffin tins and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze.
For the glaze, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and using a wire whisk, blend them together until all lumps are removed. Heat until hot and almost boiling.
Remove meat from cupcake tins and place on plate. drizzle glaze over and around meat. Top with mashed potatoes or small piece of parsley.
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Note: Think long and hard about the mashed potatoes if your fitness goals include fat loss. But, this is Dish It Out Tsan after all so we have to publish her recipes uncensored, remember? Well, at the very least be prepared to swing Auntie Bell 200 times when adding that “optional garnish.”
